A Heart Full of Magic
by NeonFlower
Summary: An evil force returns for revenge from years before, planning to take back the Claiomh Solais and kill those that escaped him long ago. The power of the Claiomh Solais is now in the hands of a small girl, who's heart is still plagued by her past. Without her ability to awaken the rod, the magical world faces a dark future... (Years Later AU)
1. Prologue

**Hello! Neon here, I've decided to TRY to write out a longfic involving my Years Later AU. Be weary that I'm horrendously bad at keeping stories updated but if this Prologue and Chapter 1 (which should be up in the next few days) gets enough reviews, likes, follows, etc etc, then I'll sit down and continue it!**

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 _Run away, run away…_

The click of sharp talons scraping the stone floor echoed off the cave walls.

 _With breath like fire and a gaze of death…_

It held a fast pace, as if the creature was in a rush. Body long and slender, it moved through the cavern with ease. A broken, disfigured skull for a face with jagged teeth and a single, beady red eye.

 _He seeks revenge, for those that took his body and mind…_

The creature stopped at the entrance, shielded by the darkness of the night. A thick, tar-like substance dripped and bubbled off the broken body he had created. His ribcage stuck out, tar oozing and dripping from the bones. A long, thin tail swished behind him, the tip ending in poisoned quills. More quills suck out from the spine, lining down from his neck to the end of his back. Horns stuck out from his skull, swirling in at upwards angle.

 _And he will not stop until they have perished under him…_

Suddenly, bones broke out from his shoulder blades, rising and cracking as they formed. Wings shaped from the remains of bones, tar spreading across the thin joints.

 _Run away before he gets you…_

With force pushed into his hind legs, he flapped the appendages. Using powerful and unknown magic of his own, he could fly.

 _Or meet a deadly fate that he has for you…_

And like that, he flew into the night.

 _Run away…_

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She woke up, startled and gasping. A cold sweat had beaded on her pale skin, her heart hammering against her chest as the nightmare clung to her mind. The voice sounded so childlike, soft like a whisper but with fear trickling in every word. The images she saw were hazy, blackness scratching them out like claw marks. There was one thing that she will always remember; the red glow of an eye.

Her sudden gasping had awoken her partner, a shift in the blankets next to her was the only indication.

"Diana…?" A groggy voice spoke out, and her nerves calmed down at the sound of their voice. Another second passed, and the person sat up. Brown locks of hair stuck out in all directions, falling down their shoulders and back. They rubbed one of their eyes as they yawned.

"Go back to sleep, Akko, I am fine," Diana reassured them, but that wasn't enough and she knew this. Akko pouted and all signs of sleepiness disappeared from her features. She faced the white-haired witch and took her hands into her own; the glow of their rings lighting up their faces. Akko could see how shaken Diana was, and she grew anxious.

" _Diana,"_ Akko's voice was stern, and Diana figured there would be no way out of this. Her wife tightened her hands, and Diana let out a sigh. Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead against her wife's, inhaling the brunette's smell; earth and cake.

"It was just a nightmare," Diana responded quietly, but she could feel Akko stiffen up. One of Akko's hands moved to Diana's chest, gently placing it over her heart; it's beat was a little fast-paced, but with her presence there, she could feel it slowing down. Akko waited till she felt the double-beat and breathed out, relaxing little by little. Diana appreciated her concern, her heart was fragile and an attack was something neither of them ever wanted. But Diana never left Akko out of the dark if she felt one coming.

Several years ago, when both women were still students, a dark force had made itself known on Luna Nova grounds. After some students were ambushed by the beast, and one even killed, Diana felt responsible and went to go stop it herself. But, she underestimated its power, and she was fatally wounded, the creature's tail piercing through her chest and poisoning her.

Had Akko not been there, Diana was sure she wouldn't have made it. After a long recovery with Akko's help, Diana had grown to be stronger. However, the injury had left her with an irregular heartbeat and weak heart. Not only that, but the poison ripped away any chances of her becoming a mother.

Despite these hard times, she and Akko were by each other's sides the whole time.

Well, most of the time…

Four years prior, Akko's previous career had demanded her to travel around the world. However, communication was few and far between the two of them, which turned the situation worse. When a devastating blow occurred to Akko, she had no choice but to return. But, due to overwhelming anxiety, Akko had postponed her return to Diana, and disguised herself among school staff until she was ready to reveal herself. Only, Diana had suffered physical and mental anguish within the three years her wife was gone, making her weak.

It had only been a year since Akko reappeared, catching Diana in the middle of a fatal heart attack. Had Akko not been there, Diana would've perished due to how weak her body and mind had been. Ever since then, Diana had made a full recovery, and had become the strong headmistress Luna Nova needed. Akko continued to teach, but no longer found it necessary to disguise herself.

Without a single word spoken, the two of them laid back down, Diana curled into Akko's chest as the brunette wrapped her arms around her wife. Waking up from nightmares was a regular thing now, some harder than others. But the other would always be there in the waking world, always willing to comfort their partner. Tonight had been a smaller nightmare, and thankfully no tears had been shed from it.

Despite this, as Diana was lulled to sleep by Akko's steady heartbeat, the images and the voices still replayed in her head. Something didn't feel right about the whole thing, as if it was a vision more than a nightmare.

 _A warning…?_

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 **Reviews are greatly appreciated! It helps me keep motivated to write these sort of things!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 just needed some editing! If these two chapters are successful enough, I'll continue with this story!**

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Another day, another hour to struggle out of bed.

Another night without much sleep.

She thought she would've gotten used to the early morning schedule. But it never seemed that way. Every morning was just another day of getting her bearings together enough to crawl out of the safety of the blankets.

But now she had another reason to get up on schedule.

She knew her teammates were trying to be nice and not wake her up, but they were bigger people, and despite their best efforts, they always made noise. So, instead of worrying them, Seraphine would just wake up at the alarm so that they didn't have to tiptoe around.

Nonetheless, she pushed herself up, grunting as her shoulders cracked.

Yesterday had been a long day of training with her mentor. The older woman had probably pushed her too hard, but Seraphine never complained. Professor Kagari saw potential in her, and it made the girl's heart flutter. She didn't want to disappoint the one person that saw her as a _somebody_ instead of a _nobody._

Seraphine perked up at the sound of somebody else waking up. She could hear joints popping and cracking as they stood up and stretched. Even through her sleepiness, she could make our short white locks of hair sticking out in all directions. The person was very tall and rather skinny.

"Ahhh Nelson really pushed us with our flying patterns yesterday," They spoke, placing their hands on their hips and stretching back to crack their back.

"Mmm Eddy, she pushes everybody~" Another voice spoke up, sleepiness strung into their words. The first witch stood back up and simply shrugged.

"You have a point there Alli," Eddy replied, before going back and stretching their arms out. This was routine for the two of her teammates. But unlike Eddy, who only got up to pop sore joints, Allisandra got up to start a workout in under a four minute timespan.

And under four minutes she did.

Seraphine paid her no mind though, as she readied herself for the day. Today was going to be certainly busy, as the yearly Winter Festival was fast approaching. Many compared it to the Samhain Festival that took place during the hotter months of the school year, but this was nothing like that. Where the Samhain Festival was a test of a magic and show of Luna Nova's teaching efforts, the Winter Festival was a whole weekend to relax and _have fun._ The academy had less than two days before it started, and Seraphine felt as if they weren't ready yet.

This was her first year here at Luna Nova, so she had no clue as to what the Winter Festival was like. Eddy and Alli were also first years, with Eddy entering the semester late due to some personal issues. None of them knew what was to be of the festival, but but they did know was that their headmistress was a very skilled and organized woman; and with this knowledge, they could only assume the festival would be amazing.

Today, classes were not held so that preparation could start. All teams were assigned to one job or another, and, with the teamwork of everybody, the festival would come together nicely. Purple Team, as dubbed by the color of their sashes, were in charge of a very important project. But none of them had a clue as to what their project was exactly, as nobody had told them.

Just as the three of them were about to head out of the suite, there was a soft knock at the door. Eddy rushed over in two swift steps, and opened it without a second thought.

"Hello- eh?" They stopped when they realized that no one had been standing there. They peered down both ends of the hallway, but no one was there.

" _Ahem,"_

A small, squeaky chirp came from below, and Eddy glanced down to see a small fairy standing there, a note in his hand. Leaning down, they accepted the letter from him, and pardoned him.

Shutting the door behind them, they flipped the letter over, overlooking from whom it came from. A wax seal closed off the letter, a D and C in beautifully written cursive engraved into the wax.

"Fancy," Was all Eddy could say.

"Who's it from, Ed?" Alli asked and Eddy shrugged. Seraphine offered to look at the letter, outstretching her hand to the other witch. Eddy obliged and smiled. Seraphine examined it briefly.

"It's from the headmistress," Seraphine was quiet with her answer.

"The headmistress?! How would you know?" Eddy exclaimed.

"There's the shape of a Unicorn head in the stamp of wax," Seraphine murmured. It made sense now, the D and C were the headmistress's initials; the unicorn signified her family name.

Without wasting another moment, Seraphine ripped the letter open, unfolding the message from inside. Alli peeked over her shoulder, curious what the headmistress wanted from them.

Reading over it briefly, Seraphine blinked before her eyes widened.

"The headmistress has invited us to her quarters," Seraphine spoke up.

"She did all this just to tell us that?" Eddy tilted their head, brows furrowing. Seraphine nodded.

"The headmistress is a Cavendish, meaning she's very formal about everything and anything," Allisandra responded this time.

"Yet she's married to Professor Kagari…" Eddy trailed off. Seraphine flashed her a look for a few seconds before glancing back at the letter. A strike of panic went through her body.

"She wants us there by ten o'clock," Seraphine's tiny voice couldn't hold a sense of urgency, but Eddy and Alli understood regardless. It was already nine-thirty-four. And the headmistress's headquarters were in _another_ building on the _other side_ of the school.

"Crap! Hurry, hurry!" Eddy bounded across the room to throw on their uniform and quickly brush their messy hair. Alli breathed a quiet " _watch your mouth"_ to Eddy but they never even heard her. If anybody had to leave a good impression, it was Edlyn. Only because the headmistress herself allowed Eddy to even attend Luna Nova in the first place. Alli was in less of a panic getting ready, while the already dressed Seraphine walked over and grabbed her wand. She paused when she glanced at the Shiny Rod sitting against the table, lifeless and showing no signs of magic from the seven orbs.

As if all the magic it once held was a distant dream.

But Seraphine could remember those days. The days where her life wasn't filled with loneliness. She was very young then, when a witch had put on elaborate and flashy magic shows all over the world. Even from a television screen, seeing that magic show was the best moment of her life.

The one time she had felt… happy.

It was the reason why she had come to Luna Nova.

But she never thought she'd meet the witch behind the shows. A witch whose mind and body were plagued by a terrible past, covered up by a fake smile and soft eyes.

Her mentor, Professor Kagari.

Seraphine would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't feel a bit disappointed. She was disappointed; to the fact that her idol held a defeated look to her maroon eyes.

But her mentor's spirit was still the same. Bright and determined as ever. And Professor Kagari put all her faith into Seraphine. The _only_ person. Even her own teammates were still new people to her, she had only known them since the start of the semester. Eddy was kind and cheerful to everybody though, so it was only natural that they would get along with their team. Allisandra was kind and laid back, and even physically strong, but Seraphine was still hesitant around both of them.

But her mentor was older, and knew and experienced things that no one should ever go through. Seraphine only heard about the stories and rumors, but one thing was true; her mentor had once saved the world with the Shiny Rod herself. Like her mentor had said before:

 _A believing heart is your magic._

… _what heart?_

"Seraphine? Yoo-hoo, Seraphine!" Eddy's chipper voice broke into her thoughts, and the small girl blinked. Eddy was waving a hand in front of her face, trying to catch her attention.

"S-Sorry…" Seraphine stammered, and Eddy gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's alright. Come on! We're going to be late if we stand around here any longer!" Eddy was at the door with two long strides, ready to be out the door. Alli was close behind, Seraphine following last in a slow pace.

As the three of them walked quickly down the hallways, Seraphine's mind was still clouded with intrusive thoughts.

 _Do I even have a believing heart?_

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 **Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A new update! Thank you so much to those that leave reviews!**

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Diana Cavendish felt the trickling effect of her old wounds starting to wear on her body. She felt a familiar fatigue travel through her limbs and an ache in her chest. Even with her magic protecting her from most of the pain, it was still _there._

Despite this, Diana held a stoic mask on her features with straight posture. She could not show weakness, especially at a time like this. The Winter Festival was days away, and preparation was still in early stages. Even with her best students assigned to the hardest and most demanding jobs, it still needed time.

Only because this Winter Festival was particularly special.

It was the first festival Akko would attend since her return. Since Diana became headmistress.

Specifically created for when Akko had been gone for three years.

Diana held her left hand up, the glowing ring on her finger an indication that Akko was alive and well today. The brunette was probably off teaching classes or mentoring her apprentice. Diana smiled softly before bringing her hand to her lips, lightly kissing the ring as a gesture of love.

The white-blonde looked back out over the school grounds, catching glimpses of students and staff alike flying around or busying themselves with their assigned tasks in the courtyard.

Speaking of such matters, she had wondered if her letter ever reached them-

-Not a moment later there was frantic knocking on the doors behind her. Startled by the suddenness of it all, Diana turned and reached for her wand. With a flick of her wrist, the double doors were unlocked, and bursting through were three students.

Purple Team.

Edlyn was in front of the other two, bent over with their hands on their knees as they panted heavily. Allisandra was next to them, seemingly unfazed by the extracurricular activity. Seraphine was last, the smaller girl looking to be having the hardest time catching her breath. Her smaller build wasn't helping in any way.

"I see you have received my letter," Diana spoke softly, stepping away from the window and retrieving her hat on her desk. She was quiet as she placed it on her head. The three of them looked at her before straightening themselves in front of the older woman; after all, a Cavendish, _especially_ Diana was to be respected always.

Seraphine watched carefully, seemingly placed in between both of her teammates as they all stood before their headmistress. The small girl had always admired Diana, for the woman had always worked hard despite her rich background. She worked for her power, never excusing it because of her family name. But, Seraphine was also aware of her past too; something very evil had injured her years ago. But now, it didn't seem to bother her… to any normal person.

Seraphine was a face reader; she could even read past Diana's thick mask of lies. Her deep blue eyes held dark secrets, a tired dullness. The sign of fatigue lined underneath her eyelids. A unnoticeable twitch on the corner of her lips, an indication of pain.

Seraphine blinked when Diana cleared her throat to speak.

"I am certain all three of you are curious as to why you are here," Diana began and Eddy shook their head while the other two stayed quiet. There was a flicker in Diana's eyes.

"I have decided to task the three of you with the most important job for the festival," Diana turned, stepping back over to the window. All of them were silent for a moment before Alli broke it.

"Most… important?" Alli asked and Diana took in a deep breath.

"Yes, I called for all three of you up here today because I think you are capable of such feats," Diana looked back at them, a small smile forming on her lips.

 _Please don't be something that we cannot possibly pull off…_

"I have decided to give you three the job of the special ceremony," Diana finished, and another moment passed before the news settled in the air.

 _The_ Special Ceremony?

The very ceremony which was going to be dedicated to her wife? Seraphine's mentor?

The same ceremony that had to pull off all sorts of odds and ends to even begin being anywhere near extravagant.

 _Why them?_

"HAH? _We're_ going to be the ones responsible for _that?!"_ Eddy put Seraphine's thoughts into words perfectly. Diana didn't seem fazed by the outburst, only giving an apologetic smile.

"I know it might seem a bit of a job outside of your level of knowledge, but I assure you that I will also be apart of the project to ensure that everything is done right," Diana reassured them, all the while dipping her head to them.

"Y-You… the headmistress… is going to be working _with_ us?" Eddy stammered, always more exaggerated with their reactions. Diana only nodded this time, and Seraphine felt Eddy's aura shift as they grew anxious.

"A-Ah well… where exactly do we start?" Allisandra stepped into the conversation now.

"Well, I am sure that all of you are aware that my wife likes flashy magic, something that leaves an impact on the audience," Diana started, looking directly at Seraphine. The small girl tensed up, Diana's deep blue eyes seemingly gazing into her soul.

"Ah yes! I remember hearing Professor Kagari was a performer a few years ago!" Eddy responded, and Seraphine caught a small flinch in Diana's posture. Something gone unnoticed to her teammates.

Seraphine didn't know the full story, but from what she knew, her mentor had left for her shows, Diana stayed behind to attend to Luna Nova as the new headmistress. And within three full years, without much contact from Akko, Diana's mind and body had crumbled to mental illness and disease.

And, for a moment, Seraphine sympathized with the older woman.

Loneliness, and later depression, the thing that the small girl had suffered from for years.

Even now, she still felt a tightness in chest. Her teammates and mentor were good people, but even with the enthusiastic Edlyn and kind-hearted Allisandra, Seraphine still felt a sense of loneliness.

"You are correct, and I am going to task the three of you to plan everything out," Seraphine snapped back to reality when Diana started speaking again.

"B-But-"

"Excuse my rudeness, but do not worry how it will turn out. For right now it will simply be a draft, an outline. I will look over your efforts and fix any problems that may arise," Diana cut off Eddy before they could ask any concerning questions. Eddy shut their mouth after that.

"If I may suggest, I recommend visiting Professor Chariot if you need any ideas. She was a former performer herself after all," Diana said, folding her arms across her chest. Seraphine blinked, her mind wandering about the red haired witch. She was her mentor's inspiration, her idol when she attended Luna Nova years ago. The professor still taught at Luna Nova today, and could be labeled as Diana's second in command.

"You're right! We'll take a visit to her office now!" Eddy exclaimed, turning to the door.

"Thank you, all of you. I cannot express how much this means to me," Diana replied as the three of them bowed before taking their leave.

"Ah, Ms. Grimassi," Diana called out to the small girl before she could exit the room, stopping Seraphine in her tracks. Eddy and Alli paused as well, waiting on the other side of the door.

"I'd like to talk to her privately if that's alright," Diana glanced at the other two, both looking at each other before nodding.

"Y-You guys go ahead, I'll catch up," Seraphine's voice was small, but her teammates could just hear her.

"You sure?" Eddy asked and Seraphine nodded quickly. The freckled witch looked back at Alli before shrugging and nodding.

"Alright, we'll see ya soon!" Eddy waved to her before both of them walked off. The door closed, and the air grew thick.

"I apologize if I make you feel uncomfortable," Diana spoke as she took her place back at the window. Seraphine didn't speak.

"How is your training with Akk- Professor Kagari going?" Diana turned to her and Seraphine was quiet for a moment.

"Okay," Her response was soft. Diana could sense uneasiness.

"Just _okay?"_ Diana pressed.

" _O-Overwhelming,"_ Seraphine stuttered.

"Are you scared?" Diana tilted her head. Seraphine dipped her head so that her bangs could cover her eyes. Of course the headmistress would know.

 _She was terrified._

"I assume that you never expected to get the Cla- Shiny Rod, and then have everything thrown at you in such a short amount of time," Diana stepped closer, speaking with softness in her voice.

Her words reawakened Seraphine's memory, something that she had suppressed because her fear became too much.

Two weeks ago, she had asked her mentor _why_ she had the Shiny Rod.

What was her purpose to have it?

And her mentor couldn't answer the question herself, Seraphine could remember the catch in her throat and the older woman's hands clenching so hard that her knuckles grew white. So, she took Seraphine to Professor Chariot, the redheaded teacher able to answer the question with much more knowledge.

 _The Shiny Rod had chosen her because she was the one destined to destroy the great and feared monster only known as the Sorcerer._

 _She had to be the hero now._

 _But how?_

If she couldn't even awaken the rod, she couldn't use it. The powerful magic that had supposedly breathed through the rod was just not hers to obtain.

And she didn't know why.

 _Is it because I have no heart?_

"Seraphine," Diana's voice broke her thoughts. She zoned in again, green eyes focusing on the headmistress. A sad, knowing look crossed the older woman's features.

 _So she can read faces too?_

Diana walked forward, gently, in an unintimidating manner. Another moment passed before Seraphine felt a hand on her head. Another pause and the older woman drew in a breath.

"There are people here that will protect you, Seraphine. Those that are aware of the situation are willing to give up their lives for you. Only because they care about you," Diana murmured, her voice low but gentle. Seraphine searched her features for any kind of lie, but there was none. The white blonde spoke with sincerity, with a voice like a mother to her child.

 _Mother…?_

Seraphine blinked again, still quiet. No one had ever said such things to her before, her mind still trying to process the very idea.

That people actually cared.

"If there is ever a problem, please don't hesitate to tell me. I care about my students, especially you," Diana withdrew her hand and Seraphine felt all the warmth leave as well.

"Anyway, you are excused to leave, Ms. Grimassi," Diana dipped her head. Seraphine hesitated, before making her way for the door. Not another word was said as she left.

Once in the hallway, she stood silently, still thinking about everything the headmistress had said. She felt a headache coming on as her mind traveled back to the memories from weeks before. Her heart thumped hard.

Her hands clenched together, her head drooped down. The familiar sting of tears clung to her eyes.

 _People… care about me?_

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 **Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! Another update!**

 **A sidenote: I know a lot of you would like to have this on ao3, but I never upload my long fics to that website because I don't like the uploading process there! I apologize for the inconvenience.**

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It had been an unusually quiet day.

Even with the Winter Festival being so close, her chambers were… quiet.

Not that she didn't like the peaceful silence. Classes had been cancelled for the rest of the week, meaning she could relax just a little. Ideally she would be helping with the festival, but the headmistress didn't assign any tasks to her specifically.

" _You need your rest," Diana said, sitting at her table. Chariot stood before her, dumbfounded._

" _Well shouldn't I at least do something?" Chariot was stubborn, she wanted to help. Diana shook her head._

" _Not this time. You have worked very hard these past few months and I think you deserve a small vacation," Diana replied._

Chariot sighed as she remembered the scene unfold again. She couldn't argue with Diana Cavendish. That woman was sharp and very, _very_ smart, the redhead stood no chance. So, Chariot simply retired to her tower, using the time to do some cleaning and catching up on any paperwork.

Alcor, her old crow familiar, sat on his perch preening. The old bird was well into his senior years, scruffy, greasy feathers looked unkempt on his body. Chariot's eyes grew half-lidded, a pang in her chest; the old crow didn't have many years left in him. He noticed her gazing at him and lifted his head.

She smiled, reaching over and scratching his chin. He cooed at the display of affection, his body quivering. She withdrew her hand and leaned back, letting out a sigh as she looked above. Her gaze unfocused as she started to reminisce about the past. So much had happened in her life, she couldn't believe she was almost in her forties. Her own student had grown into a fine woman.

Now, Akko was a teacher herself, and a mentor to the new holder of the Shiny Rod.

Chariot frowned at the thought of the small girl. Unlike Akko, whose goal was to unlock the words and restore magic to the world, Seraphine was different. Her destiny now was to defeat a monster, the very beast that wreaked havoc onto Luna Nova several years ago. A powerful and mighty Sorcerer, whose ambitions were that of power, bloodlust and death.

Chariot closed her eyes as her mind wandered, to only a few years ago when the Sorcerer had made himself known again.

Croix.

An old... friend of hers, who became confused in her opinions of the magical world years ago. Croix did some questionable things when she taught at Luna Nova, but ultimately, her views changed. Chariot, cursed to probably never fly again, had been promised by Croix that she would find a cure.

Only, that promise was broken when the feared monster returned just a few years ago, making a temporary home out of the forbidden Arcturus Forest. A year before Akko was to graduate, "Croix" had returned to Luna Nova, baring similarities from herself years before. But everything was off about her. She was quiet all the time, taught classes and then disappeared for the day. After some investigation, Chariot's suspicions were confirmed.

Only, she was too late.

The day that Akko's class would graduate, Diana's inauguration was also held to be the new headmistress of Luna Nova. But… it ended in tragedy when the fake Croix had mortally wounded Diana, stabbing her through the back without a second thought.

It was only by a miracle that Diana had survived a second attack to her heart. Had Akko's own strong, believing heart not been there, Diana probably wouldn't have made it. But, this ambush had only spelled trouble for the real Croix Meridies. She was a wanted fugitive among the magical world, for doing such a crime that she didn't even commit.

It was all apart of his plan.

Not a week later, Croix had been lured in by the puppet, only to be attacked by the monster himself. It left her disabled, the Sorcerer having struck her left wrist with the deadly poison. It left her arm numb, the poison sucking the magic from her soul.

Chariot had saved her old friend after the beast left her to die, but the redhead's healing magic could only do so much. Chariot hid the injured woman in her tower, Croix having suffered three weeks of shock, fever, and the poison's effects. Croix then took her leave after she had healed enough, apologizing to the Chariot that she had failed.

Without her magic, Croix felt useless and defeated for a second time.

Ever since then, Chariot hadn't heard anything of the lavender-haired woman. She only assumed Croix had gone into hiding after she was so wrongly framed.

Chariot let out a tired sigh, her life was getting too exciting at times.

Just as she felt herself starting to relax, there was a few hard knocks at her door. She rose up in a panic, realizing she was still in her pajamas.

"Just a moment!" She called out as she looked around frantically. She perked up when she spotted one of her robes draped on the edge of her bed, and ran over to slip it on.

The door unlocked and opened just slightly as Chariot peered out. Standing there was Purple Team, Edlyn standing in front of the other two.

"May we come in?" Eddy leaned forward, and Chariot blinked.

"Ah! Of course!" Chariot exclaimed, pushing the door open to allow them in. Eddy walked in first, Alli second, and finally Seraphine was last. Chariot felt something was off with Seraphine, the girl's head drooped to avoid eye contact.

"What might bring you three here?" Chariot turned after closing the door.

"We were assigned _the_ Special Ceremony by the headmistress! She suggested we come talk to you since you might have better knowledge of flashy magic," Eddy explained as Chariot started walking over to her desk to make some tea.

"The Special Ceremony? Oh! You mean the ceremony Diana is organizing for her wife? W-Wait, Diana assigned such a big task to _freshman?!"_ Chariot yelped, nearly spilling the hot tea kettle. Both Eddy and Alli shrugged, but Seraphine was still quiet, her bangs covering her eyes.

"My… While I don't doubt Diana in any way, it does feel a bit… much to assign such a thing to young, inexperienced witches like you three," Chariot murmured as she pondered. She then looked back at them and smiled.

"Would you like some tea?"

* * *

All sat in chairs, formed in a small circle as they held their tea. Eddy and Alli had further explained some ideas they had discussed on the way here, but Seraphine hadn't said a single word. Chariot could sense a distressing aura around the small girl, as if something was plaguing her mind.

"Have any of you heard of transformation magic?" Chariot asked and Eddy shook their head and Alli tilted hers. Seraphine remained unresponsive.

Instead of telling them, Chariot set her cup of tea down on the table next to her and rose to her feet. She grabbed her wand from her hip and closed her eyes to concentrate. She hasn't used this spell in years.

 _Metamorphie Faciesse!_

Chariot yelled out, raising her arm as green magic swirled around her body. Seconds later, she disappeared in a bright light as her body changed. When the light died, Chariot landed in the form of a dog, fur bristled red just like her hair. Eddy rose to their feet in an excited manner, almost spilling their tea.

"That's so cool!" Eddy's eyes were sparkling. Chariot dipped her head before leaning down, another cloud of smoke appearing as Chariot changed back. She straightened her back out, letting out a shaky breath.

"While transformation magic is very useful and especially flashy in many regards, it is a higher leveled spell as it can take a lot of energy from the caster if they used it on themselves," Chariot said as she brushed herself off. Eddy took their place again, taking a sip of their tea.

Seraphine saw it all. It was certainly the very kind of magic they would need. She remembered it, from when she watched her mentors magic shows.

 _But could they pull it off?_

"Of course, if you had a strong source of magic, your ability to maintain the spell would be longer," Chariot replied, sitting back down with a huff. Seraphine's head rose for the first time since she had left Diana's office. Chariot blinked and her teammates glanced at her.

"The Shiny Rod," Seraphine murmured and Chariot had to strain to hear her soft voice.

 _The Shiny Rod._

It held enough power to pull off such a grand performance. The kind of power _they_ needed if they had any chance at succeeding.

But there was one problem.

Seraphine was its wielder… and she had had no such luck in even awakening the rod. Her heart lacked the kind of magic it needed to come alive. But because Seraphine was fighting her own demons right now, her heart was empty. It lacked the love she so desperately wanted.

And because of that, Chariot was worried. But the spark of light in the girl's green eyes was a small light of hope. Clasping her cup, she nodded.

"The Shiny Rod will lend you the power to pull off the special ceremony. But first, you must harness it," Chariot grew serious. If magic was not harnessed correctly, the caster could face deadly repercussions.

"I know," Seraphine's voice held a hint of strength. Something none of the others had heard. Chariot blinked once before smiling softly.

 _There was still a chance._

* * *

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